The Life Of Rodgort
by wizardofwarsaw
Summary: A story about the humble beginnings of one of the greatest Fire Elementalists in Tyrian history.
1. Chapter 1

"Erasmus Sebastian Rodgort, please step forward." The booming voice of Grand Master Feltus filled the open space.

A wiry young man separated himself from the group of students and made his way to the middle of the field. He stared up at the professors who lounged at a long table, raised above the field.

"You're here to demonstrate mastery of the second-year spellforms of the Elemental path?"

"Yes, sir." His voice barely carried the great distance to the professor's platform.

"You may begin."

Erasmus closed eyes, breathing deeply. His stomach fluttered as he began the incantations. He grasped at the magic surrounding him, pulling it in. He grimaced as it swept into him, almost out of control, setting his body tingling with a storm of power.

As his words died down, he reached outward with his mind. Erasmus grappled with the energy inside him, shaping the spell.

His body trembled, and sweat began to drip down his forehead. His hands drifted upward, focusing the spell in front of him. The power surged forward, and Erasmus urged it onward.

Time seemed to creep by as the magic moved down his arms. Erasmus shivered at the feeling of energy coursing through his limbs. When it finally reached his hands, he released it, cringing at the expected burst of light and power.

Nothing happened. The tension in his body released, and he gasped for air.

Erasmus could hear snickering from the other students. Above him, the Grand Mage scowled. "Not a very good start, Mr. Rodgort. Would you like to try again?"

"Please, sir."

Grand Master Feltus nodded, motioning the young mage to start again.

Erasmus took a deep breath and began his incantations again. Again, he drew magic into himself. Again, he focused the power in front of him. And again, nothing happened.

Another round of giggling erupted behind him. Grand Master Feltus cleared his throat, calling for silence from the students. "Mr. Rodgort, I notice this is your third failed attempt to complete your second-year spellforms."

Erasmus's cheeks flushed. He gave a quick nod.

"While there is no rule stating that you can't attempt this test again next year, it might be prudent for you to consider a new path. Perhaps, you are unsuited to the Elemental arts."

Erasmus squeezed his eyes shut, taking a deep breath to steady his voice. "Of course, sir. Thank you, sir."

He turned to leave, fighting the urge to sprint from the practice field.

"Mr. Rodgort?" A new voice spoke from the professors' stage.

Erasmus turned to see Professor Shara standing at the end of the table, staring at him. He felt unexpectedly small under her focused gaze.

"Please stop by my office later today."

His voice caught in his throat, and he responded with a nod. Her gaze lingered a moment longer before she waved a hand dismissing him.


	2. Chapter 2

Erasmus marveled at the oddity of Professor Shara's lecture hall.

Along the back half of the room, seats arranged in a large semicircle provided a place for students to sit. Opposite the seats, however, where most classrooms had a stage for professors to lecture from, Erasmus saw a mound of grass and flowers.

The walls of the room looked to be trees, grown close together, their branches woven to make a solid wall. Sunlight poured in from above, creating the illusion of midday.

Altogether the room had a calming effect on Erasmus. When Professor Shara strode into the room, a hefty bear waddling behind her, any anxiety Erasmus had felt had diminished to mild curiosity.

Professor Shara strode into the classroom with a large bear waddling close behind her. When she spotted Erasmus, her countenance softened. She even smiled at him.

"Mr. Rodgort. Glad you could make it."

"Of course, Professor. What can I do for you?"

"I had some questions about your schooling here. You've been attending Nolani Academy for four years, and have never showed interest in any work outside of the Elemental path. Why is that?"

"My family has studied the Elemental Arts for five generations."

"I see. So, you've not considered any other professions?"

He shook his head.

Shara stepped up to a nearby tree, reaching into the hollowed trunk and pulling out a crystalline ball. She offered it to Erasmus, who took it gingerly.

"What is this?"

"It's a neat little trinket Feltus made to help students decide on a profession. It pinpoints certain aspects of your mind and soul to decide which magic you're best suited to." She wrote a few words on a scrap of parchment and held it up in front of Erasmus' face. "Read this incantation."

Erasmus stumbled over the unfamiliar words, releasing a cooling flow of magic from the orb into his hands.

Inside the crystal, flashes of light ignited and smoke billowed. Colors shifted and sparkled as the ball hummed. The vibration grew intense, until it was almost painful, then stopped. Erasmus' arms tingled.

Inside the crystalline ball, purple lightning crackled around spinning starbursts.

"What does that mean? There's lightning; that's gotta mean something Elemental, right?"

"No. It's unusual, but definitely not. It looks like you'd make a decent Mesmer."

Erasmus' shoulders drooped.

"There's nothing wrong with choosing another profession. Magic is complex, and sometimes you're just not suited to a path."

He nodded as his eyes dropped to the floor.

"Look, you don't have to give up being an Elementalist. But I want you to consider studying something else." She scribbled on another spare piece of parchment and handed it to him. "Take this to the library and pick those up. Then we can revisit your options."

Erasmus plodded toward the door.


	3. Chapter 3

After leaving the academy, Erasmus wandered the town. He stopped at a little bookshop, picking up a copy of Saya Lian's _The Only Truth. _He met some friends at The Wandering Elemental for a bite to eat. He even took a stroll through the forest-anything to avoid returning home.

Erasmus knew his parents were eagerly awaiting him at home. They were always excited to hear about how his tests had gone, often taking the day off to be home when he arrived.

As much as he appreciated their enthusiasm, facing them after another failure didn't appeal to him.

So, he wasted his day. Wandering from one market stall to another, he delayed his return home for as long as possible.

When he did finally return, the sun was sinking behind his family's estate.

As Erasmus entered through the ornate front gateway, his younger brother came rushing out of the garden to meet him.

"Erasmus!" The younger boy barreled into Erasmus, almost knocking him off his feet. Erasmus pulled the boy into a hug, ruffling his sandy hair.

"Elijah? What are you doing in the garden? Shouldn't you be studying?"

"Mom didn't want me in the house. She said her and Dad had to talk about you failing again."

"How did they find out about that?" Erasmus asked. Elijah pulled away to look up at his older brother.

"One of the professors stopped by to talk about your progress."

"That doesn't sound good. I guess I should get in there." Erasmus swiped at some dirt on Elijah's clothes, as he spoke.

Elijah nodded before running back to the garden to play.

Erasmus's mind raced as he headed inside. A professor visiting a student's home was unheard of. Most were too busy with schooling to warrant leaving the academy. He could only imagine how bad things must be if someone felt it necessary to make a house call.

By the time Erasmus stepped into the family sitting room, he was a nervous mess.

Across the room, his father, Arylas, sat reading.

Arylas was a physically imposing man. His early life as a mercenary had left him fit enough for physical labor and disciplined enough to maintain his physique in retirement. On more than one occasion, Erasmus had wondered if he would ever grow to match his father's size.

But more intimidating than just his size, Arylas' face gave the distinct impression of being angry. When absorbed in his own thoughts, his features would take on signs of visible disappointment. The corners of his mouth would turn down, and his brow would furrow.

Erasmus cleared his throat, Arylas looked up from his book.

"Welcome home. You're a bit later than I expected." Arylas placed his book on the table beside him. "Mari, he's home."

Erasmus could hear his mother shuffling around in the kitchen.

When she rounded the corner, she carried a plate of rice cakes in front of her. She broke into a massive grin when she saw Erasmus.

Mari had always been the exact opposite of Arylas. Where Arylas was tall and muscular, Mari was shorter and thin. Where Arylas always look angry, Mari always smiled.

"Hello, dear. You missed supper. Have you eaten?" Before Erasmus could answer, she offered him a rice cake. "These should be much better than my last batch. These blasted Canthan recipes are difficult."

His father took one, making a show of taking a large bite and enjoying the treat. Erasmus, however, noticed another figure behind his mother and glanced over her shoulder.

Leaning against the wall, Professor Shara waved to him from the entrance. She stepped into the room and sat down on a sofa across from Arylas.

"Now that Erasmus is here, there's something I wanted to discuss with you all."

Erasmus took a seat on the sofa next to Shara, while Mari sat down on the arm of Arylas' chair.

"You're aware that Erasmus has had difficulty in completing the second-year Elementalist tests. Quite a few of the other faculty think that he should give up on the Elemental Path altogether. I suggested to Erasmus that he should consider working toward another profession, but he is determined to follow in your footsteps. Because of that, I don't think that he should study at the Nolani Academy any longer. Grand Master Feltus agrees with me."

Erasmus searched his parents' faces, fervently attempting to read their reactions. When his father opened his mouth to speak, Erasmus tensed.

"You can't expel him, though?" Arylas' voice remained calm. Measured. "We pay for tuition. And Erasmus hasn't broken any rules."

"No, of course not. We don't have any intention of expelling Erasmus. He's not a troublemaker. We're just concerned that, since he's not progressing like our other students, the classroom isn't where he should be."

"Do you have a recommendation, then?"

"Actually, yes. I've recently been hired for an expedition into the Crystal Desert. I would like Erasmus to accompany me."

"Absolutely not." Mari's voice brooked no argument. In his entire life, Erasmus had never seen his mother look as fierce or determined as she did now.

"Ma'am, I assure you, this is not a recommendation that I make lightly. I believe that Erasmus would flourish in a more practical teaching environment."

"We have both been to the Crystal Desert." Mari stood, her voice rising. "If Erasmus can't pass second-year tests, why would you think he could survive a journey through Tyria's most dangerous land?"

"I'll be accompanying him along with a party of capable fighters. And more to the point, this trip is intended for an archeological study. The likelihood of running into any great threat is small."

Mari opened her mouth, preparing to argue. Arylas touched her waist, pulling her attention back to him.

"Mari... She makes a good point. Schooling is all well and good when it works. But you can't tell me that you didn't make leaps of progress on your first actual job."

"That is not the same. And besides, what would he even do? It's not like he can work as a guard."

Arylas had no answer and after a pause, Shara interjected.

"Erasmus is actually a very competent student of history. His marks there are far above his classmates. I would appreciate having him serve in a scholarly capacity, and our client would be more than happy to have someone with a nimbler mind than us bodyguards."

"History?" His mother turned to Erasmus, her features softening. "Really?"

Erasmus shrugged. Professor Shara was right, but since his focus had always been on the Elemental Path, his grades in other classes seemed to have little importance.

"I imagine Erasmus has never placed the same importance on history that our client does. But I promise he will be welcome with us." Shara stood

"We'd like to talk it over with him if you don't mind."

"Of course." Shara bowed to the family before walking to the door. "There is one small condition. Erasmus will have to begin studying a second profession while we travel. I recommend Mesmer."


End file.
